My Treasury

Poetic pen

Tell a Tale

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Made In India by Biddu

About The Author

Biddu was born in India, where he started his career playing in a pop band whose influences lay in the classic repertoire of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Following his early success, he decided to hear West and move into the international music arena. He struck gold, signing the unknown Carl Douglas and producing "Kung Fu Fighting?" which went on to become a hit all over the world. He also wrote and produced hits for Tina Charles and soul legend Jimmy James.

Around this time, Biddu became involved in Indian music: he composed the cult "AapJaise Koi" for the film Qurbani which set a new landmark for sales in India He followed this up with a pop album, Disco Deewane, with Nazia Hassan, which became the largest selling pop album in Asian history, and was the first Indian album to hit the charts in fourteen countries. In 1995, Biddu wrote and produced the three-million-selling album Made in India with the singer Alisha Chinai. To date, Biddu has sold over thirty-eight million records worldwide.

About The Book

The Blurb Says

As a child, Biddu dreamt of going west and making it big as a composer. At the age of sixteen, he formed a band and started playing in a cafe in Bangalore, his home town, At eighteen, he was part of a popular act at Trinca's, a nightclub in Calcutta devoted to food, wine and music, At nineteen, he had college students in Bombay dancing to his music.

In his early twenties, he left the country and ended up hitchhiking across the Middle East before arriving in London with only the clothes on his back and his trusty guitar. What followed were years of hardship and struggle but also great music and gathering fame. From the nine million selling "Kung Fu Fighting" to the iconic youth anthem of "Made in India" and the numerous hits in between. Biddu's music made him a household name in India and elsewhere.

In this first public account of all that came his way: the people, the events,the music tours and companies Biddu writes with a gripping sense of humor about his remarkable journey with its fairy tale ending. Charming, witty, and entirely likable, Biddu is a man you are going to enjoy getting to know.

About The Cover

The cover is simple yet attractive with the Author holding his favourite instrument - the Guitar.

About The Book

Failure to flee from home more than once, travelling in unknown country with just a guitar and small backpack, questioning from police in drug smuggling and many more - these are no doubt experiences of a lifetime.

Honestly, I had not heard of the name before I got the opportunity to read this biography. I have never been very much interested in music and music to me has always been just a form of entertainment once in a while or while driving. But that does not mean I have not heard of numbers like "aap jaisa koi meri jindagi me in aaye" and the anthem of every teenage girl - "Made in India". I have grown up singing these songs by all my heart.

The author has narrated his life story in a short and humorous manner. There were many incidents when I desperately wanted to know the outcomes early and had to hold on myself from flipping the pages and finding out.

What I Liked About The Book:

1. Humour - Biddu has been quite successful in making me smile every now and then.

2. Adventures - yes, as the title states, I loved them specially the one when Biddu got caught by his school after bunking. Some were funny and others were actually scary.

What I Did Not Like About The Book:

1. Professional - although the author has opened up quite a bit about his personal life, I still found the book more professional for an auto biography. I would have loved to read more about his love life, the spiritual connections of his wife with yoga, his mother and many more.

Here are some lines worth noting:

When you are young, failure is not an option.

...youth gives you freedom to fly to the sun.

I knew that music was my mistress and forever I would dance to her tune.

‘Sanctions of any kind only hit the man on the streets, no one else,

It's a learning experience for anyone looking to make a mark in a particular field. Like Biddu, he did work at restaurants, but made sure that he stood close to his field and choose the jobs wisely which landed him with right people at right time.